Where last year was a super year for me with new releases two and a half+ months into this year is a little slow on the new release count with only 5 album releases.
I concur mwheelerk, last year had oodles of great stuff right out of the chute--normally, Jan and Feb are pretty thin, but not in 2020, and then, the deluge, SO MANY great records in 2020, almost all of them done and dusted before the Worldwide Pandemic hit and turned everything upside down. This year, seems pretty slow, a few nice treats trickling out--and this thread is very helpful in that respect, but overall, a much different start to 2021, than 2020, obviously, things art not the same as it was before, but maybe sum daze...
No doubt COVID I am guessing playing a part in that, may be that many artists are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and are waiting to sync up releases with the ability to play live shows
It really is a great album, she's just getting better and better, love this record. Just got a perfect score yesterday at Jane Weaver's ' Flock' Is a Virtuosic Tour de Force | PopMatters ... closing paragraph really sums it up well ... The new William Doyle Great Spans of Muddy Time is sounding really good too, only listened a couple times so far, but the Jane Weaver and Virginia Wing duo has really been doing good things for my music enjoyment the last few weeks.
This is really an incredible album that I got on heavy rotation. Indie meets Krautrock ... worth checking out if you dig this kind of music!
I've just bought it too and am most of the way through. I've enjoyed it so far, but it's a little odd that two recycled songs have been included. OK, I believe 'Wish You Were Here' is a remake over 20 years after the original (I haven't heard it yet), but 'Darker Shade of Black' was on the last album! It is a great song, though. Still, I'm very happy to get a new Blackmore's Night album after a 6 year wait. As I have mentioned on another thread, I used Shadow of the Moon and Under a Violet Moon to seduce my wife...
Ha ha! That's fab! They dropped off my radar a little bit. The last album I bought before this one was Autumn Sky, so Darker Shade of Night was new to me . I must pick up the two I've missed out on. Extraordinary to think they'll have been going for 25 years, next year. I still can't get used to Ritchie smiling in publicity shots.
I've been noticing this too. I have Fridays off, so I'm in the habit of perusing All Music Guide and Metacritic for new releases and the weekly haul has been less plentiful so far this year. Maybe things will pick up as the year goes along, but I imagine that the pandemic is a factor as well. With unit sales down and touring off limits, the whole industry must be struggling. My top picks of the year so far: Shame (Drunk Tank Pink), The Notwist (Vertigo Days), and Jane Weaver (Flock). Keep 'em coming!
Missed out on the signed preorder. Didn't see this generating so much demand but... it's great that people are finally getting it!
I would also mention Steady Holiday - Take The Corners Gently, by Steady Holiday Though the new album hasn't got to me like the first two, it's perhaps a bit more upbeat and straightforward than the first two which are really fantastic and quite ethereal; From the last album;
William Doyle (East India Youth) - Great Spans of Muddy Time Recorded on a portastudio, quite a bit of Berlin-era Bowie here.
Yea, really nice album, mentioned it above yesterday, but deserves a bunch of mentions. Should also say that it's a very nice sounding album too, at least the CD version, comes out as DR10, nice and relaxed, very much recommended. And a lot of the instrumental parts do harken back to those amazing and groundbreaking wordless sections of Bowie's Low and Heroes. And maybe it's just because they have a new record out next week after a long time gone that I'm really looking forward to (Green to Gold), but there's a little of The Antlers sound here too at times. Out in the UK today, but vinyl looks to be delayed in the US... William Doyle - Great Spans of Muddy Time - Review - Loud And Quiet
The full Lost Horizons In Quiet Moments album is out now, I think it was released the end of February. Some of you may know already, but they released the first half at the end of last year as an 8-song digital download, and now it gets the full 16-song physical release, and it's pretty great. Lost Horizons is Simon Raymonde and Richie Thomas, formerly of Cocteau Twins and Dif Juz, and the record features different guest vocalists and musicians on most of the songs, so it is quite a varied musical mix, but surprisingly cohesive as a whole, very enjoyable. Bella Union has the full album up on youtube, but below is a sampler, this the fourth track, "Linger" featuring Gemma Dunleavy .... Also, don't miss a listen to the new one from The Anchoress, The Art of Losing, not for everyone, sophisticated pop music, but she's working at a pretty high level now, and like the Lost Horizons record, many collaborators contributing to a pretty great outcome. The "Unravel" song below from the middle part of the album was the first single (I think) released at the end of last year. Probably gonna show up in at least a few end of the year lists, this year is getting off to a pretty nice start... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn5zutKq6bI
Just listened to a band called the Anchoress , loving it already . Great reviews too. Thank god for the uncut and mojo still around
So far I have: Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club Cloud Nothings - The Shadow I Remember Black Country, New Road - For The First Time The Weather Station - Ignorance Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview On Phenomenal Nature Pom Poko - Cheater Chris Brokaw - Puritan
Yeah it's been pretty quiet for new releases this year. So far I've enjoyed Nick Cave and Warren Eliss - Carnage Cassandra Jenkins - An Overview Of Phenomenal Nature Wild Pink - A Billion Little Lights Weather Station - Ignorance My copy of Chemtrails Over The Country Club came through the post today so will I check it out over the weekend.
If anyone is looking for anything chaotic/energetic and heavy, the new album by Thirdface is pretty excellent.
New Vinyl Williams side project, the emerald Isle are releasing an album next month. Sounds more or less the same as previous VW music but with different voices. I would have guessed the other singer was Ariel Pink....but it's not. Spacey psych pop. The Emerald Isle, by The Emerald Isle
